The controversial “Keystone
XL pipeline bill” failed to pass on Tuesday after the U. S. Senate defeated the
bill with 59 Yea and 41 Nay.
The bill, a measure introduced by the House of
Representatives, needed a 60 vote count to pass. All 45 Republicans and 14 Democrats voted in
favor but it was not enough for the bill to pass. In a recent speech President Barack Obama
rejected the bill and it was believed that had the bill passed, he would had vetoed
it.
The bill would have allowed TransCanada, A multibillion dollar oil
corporation, to construct a US$8 billion dollar pipeline to transport crude oil
from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
Environmentalists and Native Americans were protesting
the bill since it was first introduced to the House of Representatives and were
outside the Senate when the announcement was made that the Keystone Vote failed.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) was presiding over the
Senate, and was asking the Senate to move to executive session was interrupted
by one protester, who was later identified by the Washington Post as Greg
Graycloud of the Lakota Tribe in South Dakota.
The Native American chant was heard throughout the
floor and it was a symbol of celebration.
According to the
environmentalist group, Friends of Earth, the construction of a pipeline would
had been disastrous for our planet.
In an article on their website FOE.org the group
listed some of the alarming reasons why this bill could have damaged the
planet:
Dirty tar sands oil
Pollution from tar sands oil greatly eclipses that of
conventional oil. During tar sands oil production alone, levels of carbon
dioxide emissions are three to four times higher than those of conventional
oil, due to more energy-intensive extraction and refining processes. The
Keystone XL pipeline would have carried 830,000 barrels of dirty tar sands oil
into the United States daily, and resulted in climate-damaging emissions equal
to adding more than 5.6 million new cars to U.S. roads.
Water
waste and pollution
During the tar sands oil extraction process, vast
amounts of heat, water and chemicals are needed to separate the tarry substance
(known as bitumen) from sand, silt, and clay and to flow up the pipeline. The
water used in the process comes from rivers and underground aquifers. It takes
three barrels of water to extract each single barrel of oil. Ninety-five
percent of the water used to extract the oil, which is about 2.4 million
barrels per day, is so polluted that the water must be stored in large
human-made pools, known as tailing ponds. As the heavy bitumen sinks to the
bottom of these ponds, the toxic sludge, full of harmful substances like
cyanide and ammonia, works its way into neighboring clean water supplies.
Forest Destruction
The tar sands oil are underneath the world’s largest
intact ecosystem, the Boreal forests of Alberta. The forests not only serve as
an important carbon sink, but its biodiversity and unspoiled bodies of water
support large populations of many different species. They are a buffer against
climate change, as well as food and water shortages. However, in the process of
digging up tar sands oil, the forests are destroyed. This valuable forest and
its endangered caribou are both threatened by the pipeline.
Indigenous populations
Northern Alberta, the region where tar sands oil is
extracted, is home to many indigenous populations. Important parts of their
cultural traditions and livelihood are coming under attack because of tar sands
operations. Not only have indigenous communities been forced off of their land,
but also those living downstream from tailing ponds have seen spikes in rates
of rare cancers, renal failure, lupus, and hyperthyroidism. In the lakeside
village of Fort Chipewyan, for example, 100 of the town’s 1,200 residents have
died from cancer.
These problems will only get worse, unless tar sands
production is halted. Investing in a new pipeline would increase the rate of
production, while decreasing the quality of life for indigenous populations.
Pipeline spills
The Keystone XL pipeline would traverse six U.S.
states and cross major rivers, including the Missouri River, Yellowstone, and
Red Rivers, as well as key sources of drinking and agricultural water, such as
the Ogallala Aquifer which supplies water to more than one fourth of America’s
irrigated land and provides drinking water for two million Americans.
In
the end, the celebration comes from the heart of those who believe the planet
is in state of emergency, and the vote rejecting the Keystone pipeline gives
environmentalist a new hope that our country is moving towards oil independence
and a greener environment.
Brava :)
